Beth Kipnis

Celebrate Commodore Ralph Munroe’s 160th Birthday at The Barnacle

Join the fun at The Barnacle on Sunday, April 10th, to honor the 160th birthday of Commodore Ralph Munroe, one of Coconut Grove’s most charming and influential pioneers. Each year the Barnacle Society gathers to commemorate his remarkable life, and this year’s festival will have plenty of perks.

Dinner will be catered by Top Chef contestant Howie Kleinberg’s Bulldog BBQ, music will be provided by The Three Jacks, an American-Celtic rock band, and of course there will be birthday cake! The festivities will begin at 6:00 pm. All details about this event are listed here.

It’s a great opportunity to visit this historic and grand bayside home built by the Commodore in 1891 at 3485 Main Highway. At the same time you’ll be supporting the Barnacle Society’s mission to generate public awareness, education, and financial support for the preservation and maintenance of this historic home.

If you are looking for a Realtor who knows and loves Coconut Grove, and who can guide you to informed decisions, call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.

Use “Code 33″ To Save Money In Coconut Grove

Did you know that Coconut Grove residents and people who work here can receive great discounts at cooperating merchants by using the Code 33 card? To get your card simply email mcconnell28@msn.com stating whether you live or work here, and your address and email. The card will be mailed to you.

The savings are great and include discounts on restaurants, salons, jewelers, clothing stores, and so much more. You can check out the entire list of participating businesses at  The Village of Center Grove Homeowners Association.

Once you have your card, look for the Code 33 decal in store windows to find out if they’re in the program. You can honestly save a bundle!

If you are looking for someone who knows Coconut Grove real estate and can save you even more money by quickly selling your home or negotiating a better price on your purchase, call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a message.

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Eileen Seitz, Artist-In-Residence Of Coconut Grove

The 48th Annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival is this weekend, and one of our most creative and beloved local artists will again be displaying her work at the First Stop in the Grove on McFarlane Road.

Eileen Seitz was born an artist, winning her first award as a thirteen-year-old at a Manhattan street art show. She sold her first painting to a New York art dealer at age sixteen. Among other places she studied fine arts at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. concentrating on drawing, oil painting, and watercolors. Traveling the world, she realized that tropical climates satisfy her soul, and in 1981 she moved to Coconut Grove.

Her road to the Grove is interesting, but I want to convey the playful and energetic spirit of Eileen Seitz. She deeply feels and embraces the wonder and excitement of life flowing through her and onto canvas, paper, or fabric. In her own words, she “creates a vision that excites the SOUL and invites the SPIRIT of the viewer to bask and enjoy all the smells, sounds, and joys of color, through whatever line and form I bring to the two-dimensional surface”.

Recently, Eileen is showing up all over town! She was commissioned to paint the nondescript black information booths dotting the downtown area. Never planning her designs but using at-the-moment inspiration  to guide her, she transformed each kiosk into clever flower-dappled tropical bungalows.

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Eileen designed two peacocks for the Coconut Grove Peacock Tour, a unique interactive public art installation benefiting various charities around Miami. Eileen’s birds are sponsored by Milam’s Market and the Patrick Sessions Family. All the peacocks will be auctioned  on March 16 at the Paragon Theater in Cocowalk.

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Just released for sale is her 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. She’s also designing on fabric, available as sarongs, pillow coverings, wall-hangings, tableclothes, and almost anything you can imagine. Her hand-tied wool rugs are amazing and can be commissioned from her site.

I’ll be at the Arts Festival this weekend. If you are thinking of selling your home, or buying or renting in the Grove, I’d love to talk with you about how I can help you. You can always call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.